Atomic Heart has built the perfect utopian world where humans live in harmony with their loyal robots. But if you’ve watched The Orville then you’ll know that just like the Kaylons that this was never going to last. We’re about one malfunction away from a complete robot uprising so it’s up to you to save the world.
Major Comrade Sergei Nechaev or P-3 is sent in to combat the failing robots and for that, he’s going to need a good arsenal of weapons. Atomic Heart has a ton of choices when it comes to delivering damage, and you’ll need a variety for each situation. Here are the best guns and melee weapons in Atomic Heart.
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Best-ranged weapon
When picking your favourite ranged weapon in Atomic Heart, you have to account for inventory size, damage, range, and effectiveness. Generally speaking, you should be maximising the amount of damage you get for the amount of inventory space bullets take up.
KS-23 (Shotgun)
When it comes to a lot of gun damage you can’t go wrong with an old-fashioned shotgun. With 18 shells per slot, the KS-23 shotgun is one of the best you get. Not only do you get this early on, but when upgraded it packs a punch all the way to the end. It is effective and really quite powerful and will be one of your main go-to options throughout the game.
The gun only gets better after you upgrade its damage, fire rate, and magazine. It will get to a point where you can one-shot basic hostiles and it will still be able to cause great damage to upper-tier foes and even bosses.
Most of the early-game weapons in Atomic Heart aren’t great. They tend to be replaced by superior options and are only as valuable as components once disassembled. However, despite being unlocked early on the KS-23 shotgun is a monster throughout the game.
Recommended Upgrades: Muzzle Brake Barrel, Extended Magazine
Kalash (AK-47 Assault Rifle)
Repeating the sentiment discussed with the KS-23, the Kalash, otherwise known as the AK-47, is your typical, brutish Assault Rifle that gives you a weapon with a longer rate of fire. Coming in bundles of 90 bullets, it is a really effective crowd-control weapon that can take down tonnes of enemies when you’re backed up against the wall.
The Kalash is one of the best guns in Atomic Heart because it’s so well-rounded. This not-so-subtle nod to the Kalashnikov rifle is an automatic assault rifle that tears through enemies. Upkeeping its ammunition can be costly, but it’s worth the price given its effectiveness.
Once you’re able to upgrade the Kalash you’re going to have a beast of a gun. With an inventory of 200-300 bullets, combine it with elemental canisters and an increased fire rate you’ll be able to battle all night. Well at least stave off those robots for a good couple of minutes anyway.
Recommended Upgrades: Muzzle Brake Barrel, Collimator
MP (Pistol)
When first unlocked, the MP is a fairly weak handgun. It just doesn’t deal enough damage to justify using it over other options. However, once you’ve completed the Muzzle Brake barrel upgrade and thrown on Extended Magazine, the MP becomes one of the best eco guns to save resources in Atomic Heart.
Its ammunition is dirt cheap and is both extremely easy to craft and found as common loot. Thanks to this, you can use the MP to deal with regular enemies and practically never run out of ammo. It’s not recommended to use this on bosses though, as even when fully upgraded it doesn’t deal a ton of damage.
Recommended Upgrades: Muzzle Brake Barrel, Extended Magazine
Fat Boy (Grenade Launcher)
If you like big explosions, then the Fat Boy is probably the late-game weapon that you’ll be looking forward to the most. The large explosions from this gun make dealing with nearly all the enemies a cakewalk, taking huge chunks of health and dealing large area-of-effect damage. It’s a great weapon that players will have to wait for, but it’s largely worth it.
The Fat Boy is a game-changer for those more formidable opponents – and again, boss fights.
Best energy weapon
As energy weapons don’t require you to hoard ammo, you should focus on getting the most out of each shot. Instead of wasting your normal ammo taking on the smaller enemies, it should be fueling you through most of the game, where big guns can take on bosses.
Electro (Pistol)
Not requiring ammo and running off of purely Energy, the Electro Pistol is possibly the game’s most underrated weapon. It provides aimed shots of energy or area-of-effect explosions of electricity. Whereas the Dominator and Railgun are big bulky, hard-hitting Energy goliaths, it can be a while before you get them and they simply burn through your reserves.
It’s better to focus a great deal of time and effort into upgrading the Electro as when combined with powers such as Frostbite, you can be picking off some enemies with only a couple of shots here and there. Not only that but improving your Energy levels will make the gun perform even better than it already does.
Dominator
Later in the game when you’re resource-rich and you don’t mind spending for the bang then the Dominator is for you. The Dominator is like the Electro with a caffeine infusion, firing rapid bursts of energy that are less powerful. It can be a great tool for draining an enemy robot’s health and the pulse projectile it sends out can chain to multiple enemies as it flies out.
It is effectively a full-auto version of the Electro pistol you receive early on in Atomic Heart. The Dominator lives up to its name, as its special attack is one of the best attacks for killing bosses quickly and shredding through enemies.
The main downside to the Dominator is that it eats through energy. This energy weapon is expensive to use and can be difficult to upkeep, especially during longer fights. To mitigate this issue somewhat, you’ll want to focus on the Energy Management skill tree.
Recommended Upgrade: Vector Transducer
Best melee weapon
Since Atomic Heart has resource management as a requirement of gameplay it’s always good to keep a melee weapon on you for disposing of weaker enemies without having to waste resources.
Generally, melee weapons are either quick and light, or heavy but do lots of damage. With melee, you should be aiming to get in, hit, and dodge away again – effectively minimising the damage dealt to you.
Pashtet
Of the five melee weapons available, the Pashtet offers the best mix of damage and mobility. As an added bonus, the Pashtet can be acquired somewhat early on, so you won’t have to wait too long. It is quick and can be used to do multiple hits in a row, but also packs a bit of a punch.
It’s less effective when you get surrounded since it doesn’t provide much knockback but can prove extremely useful in one-on-one fights. The Pashtet finds the happy medium between many melee weapons and is quite versatile as a result.
Recommended Upgrades: Reflex Blade, Steel Blade, Ergonomic Handle
Swede (Axe)
It’s your starting weapon, so it would be rude not to include the Swede. Just a rudimentary fire axe that can end up looking pretty stylish all things considered once you’ve applied some new parts to it.
With the ability to 360-spin attacks and land booming heavy attacks, it’s a great little weapon that will be perfectly viable and serviceable for much of the early stages of the game.
Zvezdocha (Mace)
If you want to main melee combat then you’ll want to get both hands on the Zvezdocha. The Zvezdochka is a really heavy two-handed mace that swings slowly and in short range. But it has the highest base damage than any other weapon in Atomic Heart and is the strongest melee weapon in the game.
It’s really satisfying to smack a robot with this giant weapon and watch them go flying to the side. This weapon will be unlocked later in the game, but it’s worth crafting it when you finally unlock it.
Atomic Heart
In a mad and sublime utopian world, take part in explosive encounters. Adapt your fighting style to each opponent, use your environment and upgrade your equipment to fulfil your mission. If you want to reach the truth, you’ll have to pay in blood.
Atomic Heart is now available on the PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC – Steam
